Mutual funds pool money from many investors to buy a diversified portfolio managed by professional fund managers.
Mutual Funds in Asia
| Country | AUM | Popular Types |
| Japan | ~$2T | Bond funds, balanced funds |
| China | ~$3T | Money market, equity funds |
| India | ~$600B | Equity SIPs, balanced funds |
India's SIP Revolution
India has seen massive growth in Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) — monthly auto-investments into mutual funds. Over 70 million SIP accounts exist, bringing retail investors into the market at scale.
Mutual Funds vs ETFs
| Feature | Mutual Fund | ETF |
| Pricing | Once daily (NAV) | Real-time |
| Minimum | Often $100-1000 | Price of 1 share |
| Fees | 0.5-2% | 0.03-0.5% |
| Tax efficiency | Lower | Higher |